By a vote of 264 for and 146 against, the House failed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to pass a bill extending the life of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and giving the agency regulatory power over amusement parks. The two-thirds majority was required because the bill (HR 3456) was considered under a short-cut procedure limiting debate and preventing amendments. Sponsors will bring the bill back to the floor under normal parliamentary rules.

DAVIS — The California Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with whether to hold amusement parks liable for injuries that occur during a ride's normal operation. Meeting for oral argument, the state high court considered a lawsuit filed by a woman who broke her wrist while riding a bumper car at the Great America amusement park in Northern California. She claimed the park had operated the ride negligently and should compensate her for the injury. Cedar Fair L.P., the company that owns the park, countered that riders assume responsibility for themselves when they knowingly hop on an attraction with inherent risks.

For about one-third of their monthly salaries, Chinese people will soon be able to sample the thrills of an American-style amusement park. China's biggest amusement park, complete with roller coaster, Ferris wheel and 3-D movies, opens next month northeast of Peking, the China Daily said Monday. But local visitors may be deterred by the cost of entry. The newspaper said the admission charge will be $9.

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court, protecting providers of risky recreational activities from lawsuits, decided Monday that bumper car riders may not sue amusement parks over injuries stemming from the inherent nature of the attraction. The 6-1 decision may be cited to curb liability for a wide variety of activities - such as jet skiing, ice skating and even participating in a fitness class, lawyers in the case said. "This is a victory for anyone who likes fun and risk activities," said Jeffrey M. Lenkov, an attorney for Great America, which won the case.

A Northern California legislator came here Tuesday to announce yet another legislative attempt to force state government oversight of California's 71 amusement parks. Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) said he will introduce legislation this week to address growing concerns about accountability at the parks, compounded by the death of a Disneyland patron in December.

Authorities are searching for a man who assaulted and attempted to rape a female employee in a restroom at Six Flags Magic Mountain, causing her to be treated for multiple injuries at a local hospital. The 39-year-old victim told sheriff's deputies that she believes a maintenance employee at the park is responsible for the attack, said Sgt. Howard Fairchild of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The developers seeking to build an amusement park at the corner of Harvard Avenue and ichelson Drive will meet with residents over the next few weeks in an effort to work out differences over the controversial development. The meetings are designed to focus on crime, parking and other issues raised by opponents of the Palace Park development.

Fun is MichaelJenkins' business. He and his staff of architects, designers, researchers, illustrators and planners at Leisure and Recreation Concepts design and build amusement parks all over the world. They may have the only conference room in town where you can get fresh popcorn from a gilt-trimmed popcorn wagon. "We pop it fresh every morning," Jenkins said during an interview, scooping out a boxful.

Six Flags Magic Mountain reopened Thursday to its biggest crowd of the year, park executives said, a day after Daniel Vega, a 15-year-old Fontana boy, was shot to death in the parking lot. Two others shot in the incident, the victim's 14-year-old cousin and a 37-year-old female bystander, were in good condition at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, officials said. Meanwhile, sheriff's detectives questioned the many witnesses to the 8:40 p.m.